Ground connecter



July 7, 1931. E, 1 NOBLE 1,813,417

GROUND CONNECTER Filed June 23, 1928 Patented July 7, 1.931

UNITED STATI-:s

PATENT OFFICE EDWARD J'. NOBLE, OF NEW LONDON, GONNE ASSIGNMENTS, T GILLETTE-VIBBER CONNECTICUT, A. CORPORATION OF GnoUNn coNNEc'rEn Application led June 23, 1928. Serial No. 287,856.

My invention relates to an improvement in a ground connecter and its novelty resides in the combination, adaptation and arrangement of parts as will be more fully hereinafter pointed out.

` A Electrical engineers andf fire insurance boards throughout the United States have gradually come to the conclusion that in electrical circuits running through buildingsv it is essential to the safety and protection of the property that the circuits be grounded.

Because of the common practice of utilizing water pipes for grounding it has become a serious problem to insure the permanence of such grounding as the ground is almost uniformly made on the water pipes in the cellar where through carelessness it may be struck by wood, coal or any of the various items which are universally stored in cellars and whereby such ground connections are apt to be broken and the protection to the circuit thereby lost.

My device is adapted to overcome this problem and furnishes a means of grounding 85 a circuit ina positive manner so that it will remain grounded against any of these ordinary hazards because of the security of its fastening.

My device also is adapted to solve this lo problem in a most novel manner because of its flexibility whereby it may be connected up to a water pipe around other pipes in any position as is frequently required in making such a grounding connection.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of my device mounted in position on a water pipe which is broken away for convenience in illustration.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the coupling connecter mounted on the outer end of my device.

Figure 3' is a vertical section on the line 5-5 in Figure 1.

Figure- 4 is a top plan view of another embodiment of my device as adapted for heavier construction.

In the drawings 5 is a water pipe over which is adapted to be mounted a terminal end of a ground wire 6 and which is held rigidly in looped position bound against Said pipe 5 by means of a clamp 7 which is bound together in the usual wcll known manner by means of screws 8 and nuts 9 mounted through the desired holes 10 of the clamp 7. A corrugated supporting arm 11 also held in position by said screws 8 and nuts 9 is mounted over a flexible shield or conduit member 12 so as to be rotatably adjusted on said shield 12 by screwing on and off the same. The flexible shield member 12 is mounted in the usual well known manner over the ground wire 6 and a coupling 13 which is internally threaded at 14 has an internal cut out 15 into'which v the outer end of the flexible shield 12 is adapted to be flared or swaged by turning out the edges of the outer end o-f said flexible shield member 12 at 16 so as to lock the same into the internal cut out 15 whereby the coupling 13 turns readily thereon but is securely held thereon. The internal threading 14 of the coupling 13 is adapted to screw over a 'suitable connecter of usual construction havas to effect a connection between this ground connecter as described and the flexible shield or simlar shiel, serving as the cond'uit for the ground wiite 6.

In Figure. 4 is illustrated a heavier construction of my ldevice which is adapted for use in the handling of heavier ground cables which must be more securely fastened in grounded position on heavier pipe.

In this embodiment shown in Figure 4, two clamp members 17 having a series of holes 18 are adapted to be rigidly secured around a pipe 19 by means of the usual screws 20 and nuts-21 to a connecting plate 22 to which is also rigidly secured a third clamp member 23 at 24 by means of the usual screws and nuts mounted through the selected holes 25 in said clamp 23. A supporting arm member 26 is rigidly secured to the clamp member 23 and is adapted to screw on to andfl' of the flexible shield 12 and the bared ground wire 6 is coiled around the pipe 19 and the clamp member 23 secured rigidly in position by means of the screws and nuts 24 thereby ing an external threading for such purpose so securing the bared terminal end of the ,t

ground wire 6 in perfect grounded position securely against dislodgment on the ground by the circuits involved are insured safe grounding under all and any conditions. f It will be understood that a coupllng 13'w1ll also be mounted on the outer end of the shield portion 12 as shown in Figure 4in order to effect the connection to the, main conduit on the ground Wire 6.

It is to be noted that my connecter through the adjustable supporting arm 11 or 26 willy readily screw on or off the conduit l2 to the position as desired whereby a perfect connection may be made without adjustments, or cutting so as to overcome ordinary errors made in figuring the length of connection required. This serves to insure a perfect ground connection because the laborer making the connection has this leeway of adjustment between the supporting arm 11 or 26 and the conduit 12 to insure a simple and positive connection under any and all conditions and in whatever position may be necessary no matter how inconvenient or ditiicult it may seem because of the flexibility of the conduit 12 and the adjustability on the conduit of the supportingr arms 11 and 26.

I claim:

l. In a ground connecter the combination of a. corrugated flexible shield member mounted over the wire to be grounded having an intcrnallythreaded coupling into Which the end of the shield isswaged, a clamp member having a bracket longitudinally adjustably mounted over the other end of said corrugated shield member and adapted to bind the end o said Wire in a fixed grounded position on a. suitable ground pipe.

2. In a ground connecter the combination of a. flexible shield means for the ground end of a ground Wire, means for separably connecting said flexible shield member to the liexible shield member on the rest of the wire, supporting means rotatably adjustable longitudinally on said flexible connecter, means for securing said ground wire in a fixed grounded position on a suitable ground pipe.

3. In a ground connecter the combination of a corrugated flexible shield member, an internally threaded coupling rotatably secured to the outer end of said shield member, a clamp member having a corrugated supporting arm embracing said shield member and rotatably adjustable longitudinally thereon and adjustable means for varying the size of said clamp.

4. In a ground connecter the combination 65 of a corrugated flexible shield member, an

internally threaded coupling rotatably se cured to the outer end of saidshield member, a clamp member having a corrugated supporting arm embracinsaid shield member and rotatably adjusta le longitudinally thereon and adjustable means for varying the size of said c amp comprising a series of holes in said clamp and screws and nuts adapted to be secured through the holes selected.

5. lIn a ground connecter the combination ofv an adjustable clamp, a supporting membersecured to said clamp rotatably adjustableflongitudinally on one end of a connect-A ing conduit member to compensate for any mistake in the length of same and a corrugated flexible conduit connecter member adapted to slide over the end of a ground Wire and a threaded coupling swaged onto the opposite end of said conduit connecter member.

' 6. In a ground connecter the combination of a corrugated flexible conduit connecter having a threaded coupling rotatably secured to its outer end adapted to be secured to a coupling on the end of a ground Wire conduit, an adjustable clamp supported on the inner end of said conduit connecter by a supporting member adjustably secured to said clamp and said supporting member having corrugations adapted to engage and thread longitudinally over said conduit connecter to effect a longitudinal adjustment thereon.

7. In a ground connecter the combination of a corrugated flexible conduit connecter having a threaded coupling rotatably secured to its outer end adapted tobe secured to a coupling on the end of a ound Wire conduit, an adj ustableclamp a apted to securely fasten a ground wire in a grounded pos1 tion on a water pipe, a supporting member secured to said clamp by the clamp fastening means, said supporting member being adapted to thread over and move on said conduit connecter longitudinally to compensate for any mistake in the length of the conduit.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

EDWARD J. NOBLE. 

